Two Virginia Commonwealth University physicians named to top posts at Journal of Women’s Health

By Anne Buckley

Two Virginia Commonwealth University physicians have been named editor-in-chief and deputy editor of the Journal of Women’s Health, a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal that publishes clinical papers on health issues that affect women across the lifespan.

Susan G. Kornstein, M.D., professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology, will serve as editor-in-chief; and Wendy S. Klein, M.D., professor of internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology, will serve as deputy editor.

Kornstein is co-founder and executive director of the VCU Institute for Women's Health, designated a National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is also director of clinical research for VCU’s Department of Psychiatry and executive director of the VCU Mood Disorders Institute. A nationally recognized researcher with expertise in women’s mental health and depression, Kornstein has been a principal investigator on over 40 research studies in the areas of depression, anxiety disorders and premenstrual syndrome.

Klein, co-founder and senior deputy director of the Institute for Women’s Health, is also program director of the Women’s Health Residency track in Internal Medicine. She has consistently been recognized in Richmond Magazine’s listing of the “Best Doctors in Richmond,” and since 1996 has been included in The Best Doctors in America.  Also in 1996, Klein was recognized for her dedication to women’s health and named VCU’s Woman of the Year.

“These appointments are indicative of the wealth of expertise at VCU,” said Sheldon M. Retchin, M.D., VCU Health System CEO and VCU vice president for Health Sciences. “The Journal of Women’s Health is a respected journal, and we are proud to have two of our physicians in leading roles.” 

Kornstein is co-editor of Women's Mental Health: A Comprehensive Textbook, which is the first comprehensive textbook on women’s mental health. She also is president-elect of the International Society for Women’s Mental Health, a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a member of the American College of Psychiatrists. In addition, she is program chair for the 3rd World Congress on Women’s Mental Health to be held in Melbourne, Australia. Honors Kornstein has won include the VCU Women in Medicine and Science Professional Achievement Award and the YWCA Outstanding Woman Award for Health and Science.

Klein is the founding past president of the VCU Women in Medicine, Science & Dentistry organization (WISDM) and founder of the annual Pathways to Leadership Conference for women physicians and scientists. She is chairwoman of the School of Medicine Committee on the Status of Women & Minorities. She is also the program chair of the regional professional education program, “Women’s Health: Clinical Insights for the Practitioner,” now one of the largest women’s health conferences on the East coast.

The Journal of Women’s Health focuses on the diseases and conditions that hold greater risk for or are more prevalent among women and provides research and therapeutic options for the management of these diseases. Features include original papers and review articles, editorial commentary, news from Women's Health Networks and observations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.